George hipwood



cRuTcH.

APPLICATIDN FILED MNIT. 1919.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

GEORGE HIPWOOD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CRUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Allg. 26, 1919.

Application led January 17, 1919. Serial No. 271,595.

To all whom, t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE I-IIPwooD, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county of New York, State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Crutches, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to crutches and particularly to the foot portion thereof and has for its object to provide a novel crutch foot which is constructed to resiliently support the crutch and which is also arranged so that the foot is swiveled to the body of the crutch, thus allowing the user of the crutch to readily turn while the weight is applied to the crutch.

In order to give an understanding of my invention I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described, after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a sectional view through a crutch embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view of the ball-supporting washer.

1 indicates the lower end of the crutch body or the leg of the crutch. The lower end of the crutch leg is telescopically received in a metal casing 2 in which is confined a spring 3 that is situated between the bottom 4: of the casing and the lower end of the crutch leg. Interposed between the spring and the crutch leg is a washer or disk 5 a ainst which the upper end of the spring a uts, said disk or washer having its central portion depressed to form a ball-receiving recess 6. The lower end of the crutch leg is also provided with a ball-receiving recess 7 which is situated directly opposite the recess 6. A ball 8 is confined in the recesses 6 and 7, said ball constituting a ball bearing for the crutch leg to permit it to be readily turned in the casing 2. The depth of the ball-receiving recess 7 is such relative to the size of the ball that the bottom end 9 of the crutch leg is held separated slightly from the washer or disk 5 so that the entire weight on the crutch is transmitted to the spring through the ball. I may if desired incase the end of the crutch leg in a metal ferrule 11 which will be shaped at its lower end to form the ballreceiving recess 7. The rubber tip 12 of the crutch is tted over the lower end of the casing 2.

When weight is applied to the crutch, it will be transmitted through the ball 8 and the disk 5 to the Spring 3, said spring giving a resilient support to the crutch.

The construction shown also provides a swivel connection between the foot of the crutch and the crutch body so that when a person using the crutch swings or turns on the latter, the crutch body will turn with the erson without turning the foot or tip on the oor.

The upper end of the casing 2 is provided with the inturned flange 13 which coperates with the ferrule 11 to prevent the crutch leg from being withdrawn from said casing.

I claim:

1. In a crutch, the combination with a crutch leg having a ball-receiving recess in its lower end, of a casing into which the lower end of said leg is telescopically received, a spring in said casing on which the crutch leg is supported, a washer interposed between said crutch leg and spring and provided with a ball-receiving recess, and a ball contained partly in the recess in the crutch leg and partly in the recess in said washer.

2. In a crutch, the combination with a crutch leg, of a casing into which the lower end of said crutch leg is telescopically received, a spring in the lower end of the casing, and a ball interposed between said spring and crutch leg.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE HIPWOOD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

